Philosophy of Teaching

Today's classroom operates like an industrial complex, acting as a productive area where knowledge is crafted for market needs. These changes significantly impact learners and educators regarding collaboration and knowledge generation. Alongside the metaphorical shrinking of the globe, these shifts place considerable pressure on educational stakeholders, leading to a streamlined curriculum that must adapt to the dynamic profiles of learners and educators, thus altering the classroom's political landscape. These are clear yet intricate issues facing a neoliberal classroom under the global pressures of migration. Navigating a multicultural classroom requires adopting a 'village' teaching philosophy, informed by anti-oppressive practices and social justice education. Anti-oppressive education is action-based and grounded in community experiences, while social justice education recognizes the vital contributions of learners and educators in collaborative knowledge creation. This approach promotes the co-creation of knowledge that encourages diverse thinking and practice. While curricula may guide classes, educators and students are urged to question norms and expectations during teachable moments, reshaping the classroom for new possibilities and futures. To enable these opportunities, it's critical to scrutinize the curriculum to nurture and apply deliberate multiculturalism. Education should be student-focused and multi-perspective, allowing different voices to influence and enhance both learning and teaching processes. Educators ought to present a preliminary work plan (syllabus) to the class and solicit student feedback at each semester's end on what worked and what didn't. This feedback should then inform improvements to future syllabi, thus reinforcing teaching and learning.